What is FOREX?

Forex is an inter-bank market that took shape in 1971 when global trade shifted from fixed exchange rates to floating ones. This is a set of transactions among forex market agents involving exchange of specified sums of money in a currency unit of any given nation for currency of another nation at an agreed rate as of any specified date. During exchange, the exchange rate of one currency to another currency is determined simply: by supply and demand – exchange to which both parties agree.

Please note that your account must be approved before you can fund it.

2. How long does it take to credit my account after I deposit funds?

Assuming that all required information is entered correctly:

Bank Wire transfer – 2-6 business days

Credit Card – Within 24 hours

Neteller – Within 24 hours

I-Account – Within 24 hours

Fasapay – Within 24 hours

DinPay China UnionPay – Within 24 hours

Belfrics Bitcoin – 1-3 business days

We’ll notify you via email as soon as your account gets funded. Please note that your account must be approved before you can fund it.

3. What base currency will my account have?

We offer USD and SGD based accounts.

4. What are the charges for funding my account?

Bank Wire transfer : We do not charge you for wire transfers. However, bear in mind that your local bank may charge a fee for wire transfers. Make sure that you check with your bank before making your transaction. Also, there may be a correspondent bank charges incurred.

Credit Card via SorexPay : 2% of the funding amount

Neteller : 2% of the funding amount.

I-Account : Free of charges. However, I-Account may charge a fee of 3 USD upon every funding transaction.

Fasapay : Free of charges.

DinPay China UnionPay : 0.6% of the funding amount.

Belfrics Bitcoin : 1% of the funding amount.

5. Are there any charges to transfer funds from one of my profile to another?

There are no charges to transfer funds between your profiles.

6. How can I access my account funding history?

Log into your Tradesto account.

Go to the Member’s Area > Account Hub > Reporting > Transaction.

7. Can I change the leverage in my account?

Yes. First make sure that you close all your positions. Then email us at support@tradesto.com. Make sure that you include your username and account number. We will be happy to change the leverage in your account within one business day.

8. Can I change the spread in my account?

No, because Tradesto ECN spreads is already one of the most competitive spread in the market.

9. How does Tradesto ensure the safety of my funds?

We have taken exhaustive, but necessary measures to provide comfort to our clients that we treat their funds in a legal, ethical and secure manner.

10. How is your account protected?

We understand the concerns you have with respect to the safety of your funds. As a result, all client funds at Tradesto are held in segregated accounts. The main purpose of a Forex segregated account is to shield your investments from possible company risks by keeping such investments “unavailable” for the company to be used in the course of their business when facilitating its own risks, expenses and obligations. Should the company account become overdrawn, the company or its bank CANNOT use your funds.

Account Username and Password (5)

1. What is my username and password?

You have two types of username and passwords.

You create your username and password when opening a new account. You will use this set to access the Tradesto Member Area.

Tradesto will create an MT4 ID and password for you upon account approval. You will use these login details to access their MT4 trading platform. We will email this MT4 ID and password to you.

2. I forgot my MT4 username (called MT4 ID) or password. What should I do?

Click here to retrieve your lost password or username. Simply follow the instructions on the page.

4. How can I change my MT4 password?

For security purposes, we recommend changing your MT4 password after logging in for the first time. You can do this in your MT4 platform by choosing Tools > Options > Change.

5. What if I need to change my email address after my account is approved?

Please send an email from your original email address to support@tradesto.com. In the email content, you will need to include as follows:

Your Tradesto account username

The new email address

The reason for your change of email address

Client Profile (3)

1. Power of Attorney (POA)

You will need to send an email to support@tradesto.com, attach the POA document and state which client you are representing.

2. Can I use a passport as Proof of Residence?

No, you may not use a passport as a Proof of Residence. Accepted documents have to include your name, current address and must be dated within the last 6 months. Examples of a valid Proof of Residence document include a utility bill such as water or electric bill, phone bill, cable TV bill or a bank statement or credit card statement.

3. How can I change my address?

Please email to support@tradesto.com with your old and new address. Make sure to include your MT4 ID number and your username. An updated proof of residence document must also be accompanied with the email. This will again require approval from our Compliance Department.

MT4 Trading Platform (7)

1. What is the MetaTrader 4 Trading Platform?

The Metatrader 4 trading platform provides technical analysis, charting and Expert Advisors to help clients develop their own trading strategies. The MetaTrader 4 terminal is a perfectly equipped trader’s workplace that allows clients to trade in the financial markets (Forex, CFDs and Futures). It provides the necessary tools and resources to analyse price dynamics of financial instruments, make trade transactions as well as create and use automated trading programs (Expert Advisors). It is a convenient, all-in-one solution and is by far the most popular trading terminal platform in the world.

The time zone for MT4 Trading Platform is set to GMT+3 from March to November and GMT+2 from November to March.

5. I would like to view two platforms at the same time (i.e., one Live and one Demo Account). Is that possible?

The MT4 Trading Platform only allows one instance running at one time per CPU. You’ll either need to partition your CPU or run the second instance on a virtual PC.

6. I cannot see any currency pairs in the MT4.

Please remember to right click any pair on the Market Watch panel and select “Show All” to make sure you have all the currency pairs we offer.

7. How can I download the MT4 Trading Platform?

After you register with us, we’ll provide you a link where you can download your MT4. You can also download the platform from the Download section of your Tradesto Member Area.

Performing Withdrawals (5)

1. What are the options to withdraw funds?

Bank Wire transfer

Fasapay

DinPay China UnionPay

2. How long does it take for account withdrawal?

Bank Wire transfer : It depends on the bank

Credit Card : N/A

Neteller : N/A

I-Account : N/A

Fasapay : 1-3 business days

DinPay China UnionPay : 2-6 business days

Belfrics Bitcoin : N/A

3. Are there any charges on withdrawals?

Bank Wire transfer:
We do not charge for bank wire withdrawal. However, please take note that correspondent bank charges and conversion charges might be incurred to Customer’s account while processing fund withdrawals. The rate may vary depends on your bank currency (max USD150).

Credit Card (N/A):
We do not have charge for Credit card withdrawal. Rate may vary depends on your credit card currency.

Neteller (N/A):
We do not charge for Neteller withdrawal. However, Neteller may charge a fee of minimum 1 USD or 2% on total withdrawal amount.

i-Account (N/A):
We do not charge for I-Account withdrawal. However, I-Account may charge a fee of 3 USD upon each withdrawal.

Fasapay:
Customer’s account will be debited 0.5% of the amount being transferred. Besides, Fasapay may charge a fee of minimum 0.1 USD or 0.5% on total withdrawal amount.

DinPay China UnionPay:
We do not charge for DinPay China UnionPay withdrawal. However, Dinpay may charge a fee of 5 CNY to 100 CNY (max) upon each withdrawal. Besides, please take note that correspondent bank charges and conversion charges might be incurred to Customer’s account while processing fund withdrawals. The rate may vary depends on your bank currency.

Belfrics bitcoin (N/A):
We do not charge for Belfrics bitcoin withdrawal. However, Belfrics bitcoin may charge a fee of 1% on total withdrawal amount.

4. I want to cash out my account. What do I do?

Please fill out a withdrawal request in your Member Area.

If you want to withdraw all the funds in your account, the first step will be to stop trading. If someone else manages your account, please send a request to your money manager to stop trading your account.

If you want to make a partial withdrawal of your funds, you can continue to trade as long as you have enough equity left in your account after we process the withdrawal.

To protect Tradesto from chargebacks and fraudulent usage of cards, you are allowed to withdrawal only after fourteen (14) business days after each credit/debit card deposit. Tradesto reserves the right to modify our terms and policies at its sole discretion should a certain situation exist.

5. Are there any limits on account withdrawals?

There is a minimum of USD50 or equivalent for withdrawals. An exception is made for clients cashing out of an account. You may withdraw as much as you need whenever you need it.

Performing Trading (25)

1. What is leverage?

Leverage is the use of various financial instruments or borrowed capital, such as margin, to increase the potential return of an investment. Prior to exploring leverage and how it is used in trading with Tradesto, please carefully read the following Risk Warning on Leverage:

LEVERAGE AMPLIFIES POTENTIAL LOSSES OR GAINS. WITHOUT PROPER USE OF RISK MANAGEMENT, THE HIGH DEGREE OF LEVERAGE MAY LEAD TO LARGE LOSSES.

Tradesto offers variable levels of leverage depending upon account type and account balance. The amount of leverage offered is as low as 1:1 and as high as 500:1. The following table is used in defining the different levels of margin available with Tradesto:

50:1 = 2%

100:1 = 1%

200:1 = 0.5%

300:1 = 0.33%

400:1 = 0.25%

500:1 = 0.2%

As noted above, the leverage available will differ depending upon account type and account balance.

2. Does leverage affect pip value?

The pip value does not change based on the leverage. It’s all based on the contract size.

3. What is the difference between commission and swap?

Commission is what money managers charge on a per trade basis. Swap is the amount that is credited or debited to an account due to positions held overnight.

4. Where do I find current swap rates?

To check for swap rates open your MT4 platform. Then right click on the currencies in the market watch panel. Then click on Symbols. Then click the currency pair in question. Then click Properties. You will see the swap short and long rate.

5. What kind of spreads do you offer?

Tradesto is offering an ECN spread.

6. What is the minimum trade size?

The minimum trade size is 0.01 lot.

7. What is a Tradesto ECN Spread?

Our Tradesto ECN Spreads are the most suitable for traders of all types. These are our absolute tightest spreads available and rival many institutional level price feeds offered to traders with multi-million dollar accounts:

Fifth decimal point, sub-pip spreads are available (depending on the currency pair)

This means you save money on every transaction

No more paying for wider spreads when executing trades

Enjoy a revolutionary trading experience

Absolutely NO REQUOTES at any time*

This is essential for customers that need to get in and out of trades quickly and don’t mind sacrificing a small fraction of a pip to do so in a fast moving market. To enjoy the benefit of such tight spreads, we charge a commission of only USD20 per standard lot round trip and USD2 for mini lot.

No. Tradesto is a 100% straight through processing brokerage firm with no dealer intervention whatsoever.

10. What constitutes Micro, Mini and Standard lots?

Standard Lot: 1 standard lot equals to 100,000 USD or equivalent

Mini Lot: 1 mini lot equals to 10,000 USD or equivalent

Micro Lot: 1 micro lot equals to 1,000 USD or equivalent

At Tradesto, you can trade Micro, Mini and Standard lots all under a single account. Open a Live Account or register for a FREE DEMO Account today.

11. How can I hedge my trade?

You can hedge your trade by simply trading to the other side. For example, if you’re long 1 EUR/USD, you would simply get short 1 EUR/USD.

12. What is maximum deviation?

Maximum deviation is the amount of slippage you are willing to accept. For example, if the market is at 1.5000 and you put in an order to buy, if your standard deviation is set to 2, you will be willing to accept any price from 1.5000 to 1.5002. This increases your chance of getting filled at the prices you want. We recommend a standard deviation between 0-2.

13. Is there a guarantee for a stop level?

Currently, we do not offer a guarantee for stop level. In normal market conditions, you would expect to get the price worst case within a pip or two. In volatile market conditions we will try our best to honour the stop at the best possible price.

14. Do you have a minimum margin percentage before you close a position due to a margin call?

Auto liquidation is 30%. We usually, but not always, close the position with the highest margin requirement first.

15. What is a market order?

A market order is a commitment to the brokerage company to buy or sell a security at the current price. Execution of this order results in opening of a trade position. Securities are bought at ASK price and sold at BID price.

For example, if EUR/USD is priced at [BID] 1.3000/1.3003 [ASK]. It means in order to buy 1 unit of euro, you need to pay 1.3003 US dollar. 1.3003 is also the known as the ask price. It’s the price that dealer willing to sell. Conversely, if you would like to sell euro against US dollar, you would sell at 1.3000. It’s also known as the bid price, meaning it is the price that dealer willing to buy from you.

As you see in the example above, there’s a difference between the bid and ask price. This difference is known as spread and varies depending on the currency pair being quoted. For our fixed and variable spreads, Tradesto does not charge a commission, as we are compensated on a percentage of the bid and ask spreads. In this case, if you enter a buy euro position, you are instantly down 3 pips. Therefore, you must wait for the price to come up to [BID] 1.3003/1.3006[ASK] in order to break even.

Stop Loss and Take Profit orders can be attached to a market order. Execution mode of market orders depends on the security traded.

16. What is a Stop Loss order?

A Stop Loss order is used for minimising losses if the security price has started to move in an unprofitable direction. If the security price reaches this level, the position will be closed automatically. Such orders are always connected to an open position or a pending order. The brokerage company can place them only together with a market or a pending order. The client’s terminal checks long positions with BID price to meet this order provision, and the terminal uses ASK price for short positions.

For example, EUR/USD is trading at 1.3000/1.3003. You enter a market order to buy the Euro at 1.3000. To assist in risk management, you can preset a close price (Stop Loss order) where your position is automatically closed at that price. If you set your Stop Loss at 1.2950, when the EUR/USD price reaches 1.2950/1.2953, you are taken out of the market with a loss of 53 pips. 1.3003 [entry price] -1.2950 [close price] = 0.0053.

Please note: a Stop Loss price is not guaranteed, as no orders are. During volatile market times, your stop order may not be able to be honoured at the exact price desired, and you will receive the next best executable price.

To automate a Stop Loss order so that it follows the price, you can use a Trailing Stop.

17. What is a Trailing Stop?

As noted above, a Stop Loss is intended to minimize losses when the security price moves in an unprofitable direction. Conversely, if the position becomes profitable, a Stop Loss can be manually shifted to a break-even level. To automate this process, the Trailing Stop was created. This tool is especially useful when the price changes strongly in the same direction or when it is impossible to watch the market continuously.

A Trailing Stop is always attached to an open position and works in the client’s terminal, and not on the server like a Stop Loss. As soon as profit in points becomes equal to or greater than the specified level, the Trailing Stop automatically gives a command to place a Stop Loss order. The order level is set at the specified distance from the current price. Furthermore, if the price changes in a more profitable direction, the Trailing Stop will make the Stop Loss level follow the price automatically. However, if the profitability of the position falls, the order will not be modified any more. Thus, the profit of the trade position is fixed automatically.

18. How can I put Trailing Stops in my trades?

Trailing Stops work similarly to how Expert Advisors (EA) operates in that these features work locally on your MT4 platform on your PC. We do not have support capabilities to run these features on our servers because these tools are not attached to our server.

A Trailing Stop is a feature that allows a trader to minimize their risk and protect their profit. This feature is very useful when you want to modify your Stop Loss order in a rapid manner. However, please bear in mind that you must closely monitor your Trailing Stops because if for any reason your MT4 terminal loses its connection (i.e., update, Internet connectivity), the Trailing Stop feature will be disabled because it is not attached to our servers. Therefore we cannot assume responsibility for Trailing Stops that fail due to connectivity or platform issues.

19. What is a Limit Order (Take Profit)?

A Take Profit order is intended for realising a profit when the security price has reached a preset level. Execution of this order results in closing of the position. It is always connected to an open position or a pending order. The order can be requested only together with a market order or a pending order.

For example, EUR/USD is trading at 1.3000/1.3003. You enter a market order to buy the Euro at 1.3000. To assist in risk management, you can preset a limit order (Take Profit) where your position is automatically closed at that price. If you set your limit at 1.3050, when EUR/USD price reaches 1.3050/1.3053, you are taken out of the market with a profit of 50 pips. 1.3050 [close price] -1.3000 [entry price] = 0.0050.

20. What is a pending order?

A pending order is the client’s commitment to the brokerage company to buy or sell a security at a pre-defined price in the future. These types of orders are used for opening of a trade position provided the future quotes reach the pre-defined level.

There are four types of pending orders available:

Buy Limit – buy provided the future “ASK” price is equal to the pre-defined value. The current price level is higher than the value of the placed order. Orders of this type are usually placed in anticipation of that the security price, having fallen to a certain level, will increase;

Buy Stop – buy provided the future “ASK” price is equal to the pre-defined value. The current price level is lower than the value of the placed order. Orders of this type are usually placed in anticipation of that the security price, having reached a certain level, will keep on increasing;

Sell Limit – sell provided the future “BID” price is equal to the pre-defined value. The current price level is lower than the value of the placed order. Orders of this type are usually placed in anticipation of that the security price, having increased to a certain level, will fall;

Sell Stop – sell provided the future “BID” price is equal to the pre-defined value. The current price level is higher than the value of the placed order. Orders of this type are usually placed in anticipation of that the security price, having reached a certain level, will keep on falling.

21. What is your Margin Call Policy?

Tradesto has instituted a Margin Call Policy to protect the customer from losing more money than he/she may have available in his/her account, whilst also protecting the interest of our company. Margin calls are executed when an account has less equity available than required to maintain the customer’s open positions. Margin calls are activated in real-time on an automatic basis, and occur when an account’s equity (liquidation value) reaches a level that is equivalent to 30% of used (open) margin. This 30% is known as the maintenance level. Using our company’s MT4 trading platform, positions are closed prior to the market having a chance to move further against a customer’s open trades.

For example, let’s assume you open an account with USD1, 000 and open five 10,000 unit lots (50,000 units) of USD/CHF using 100:1 (1%) leverage. As a result, 1% of 50,000 or USD500 will be set aside as used margin, and you will have USD500 remaining as usable margin. If the direction of the USD/CHF moves opposite your position, and your equity (liquidation value) reaches USD150 from the original USD1, 000 deposit, this would breach the 30% maintenance level. As a result, the position will be automatically closed in order to protect you from losing any more of your remaining balance, and possibly falling into negative territory.

In addition, two other safeguards are in place to protect both the customer and our Company alike. Once an account’s margin level falls to or below 100%, the customer will only be able to enter orders to hedge his/her current position(s). Furthermore, once an account’s margin level falls to or below 50%, the customer will not be able to enter any new positions. Instead, the customer will only be able to exit current position(s).

Our MetaTrader4 system may close any or all open positions in your account in the event that the account falls below the minimum required equity. Generally, when there are two or more open positions we reserve the right to close the position(s) first with the highest floating loss on a highly volatile market when the equity reaches 30% of used or open margin. In general, the largest positions are closed prior to the smaller positions. However, the MetaTrader4 system may close only the positions that carry the most risk. Even though the MetaTrader4 trading platform keeps track of used and free margin, it is always the customer’s responsibility to keep track of his/her account balance(s) at all times.

22. How can I protect myself from triggering a Margin Call?

Our MT4 platform is designed to trigger Margin Call if your Margin Level falls to or below 30%. To prevent margin call you can fully hedge all positions in your account. Only an account that is fully hedged is 100% protected from incurring the Margin Call.

Therefore, if you are long (buy order) 1.5 lots on the EURUSD, to fully hedge this positions you would need to get short (sell order) 1.5 lots on the EURUSD.

Note in the above example, if you were to get short (sell order) 1.4 or 1.6 lots, you would not be fully hedged, but instead would be partially hedged. While partially hedged positions have less risk of triggering margin call, they are not 100% protected from it as are fully hedged positions.

24. Why am I getting an “Invalid Account” message when I try to login to my trading account in the MT4 platform?

An “Invalid Account” message usually indicates that you have logged in with incorrect MT4 credentials. Please make sure that you have entered the correct MT4 ID, password and have selected the correct server. If you are still unable to login to your MT4 platform, please kindly email to support@tradesto.com from your registered email address and submit a request to reset your MT4 password.

25. Why do I see duplicate trading symbols in my market watch panel?

Due to the implementation of some of our newest CFD’s, you will notice some “duplicate” greyed out symbols in your market watch window. These symbols do not affect your trading account in any way and can be disregarded. Due to the limitations of the MT4 Trading Platform, we are unable to hide these symbols from your account on your behalf. These symbols are needed for the calculation of accounts in deposit currencies other than USD. To hide these symbols from your account manually, right-click on the greyed out symbol and select hide

All of our accounts have the same minimum funding requirement of USD100.00 or equivalent.

5. How long does it take to approve a new account?

New account approval process usually takes about one business day, provided that the KYC (Know Your Customer) documents are in compliance.

6. Can I choose any username I like?

Usernames must have 3 to 32 characters. Usernames can only accept a to z, A to Z, numbers (0 – 9), and underscore (_). No spaces. No symbols. No special characters.

7. What are the criteria allowed to create my password?

The password needs to be 4-32 characters, A-Z, a-z, 0-9 and underscore (_) only and must include at least one letter and one number. Password is also case sensitive.

8. How many accounts can I open under one username?

Username must be unique to your account. You can only have one account per username. You can have as many accounts as you want but they must be under different usernames.

9. Is hedging allowed?

Yes, hedging is allowed.

10. Are scalpers allowed?

Yes, scalpers are allowed.

11. How long is a DEMO Account valid for?

Each DEMO Account is valid as long as there are active trades*. Click here to open a free DEMO account.

12. What are the necessary steps to open a LIVE Account?

To open a live account, click here. It is then just a few simple steps to follow:

Step 1: Online Account Registration & Terms of Service Agreements
The registration form will first prompt you to enter in all necessary account information. You are also required to read and agree to the Terms and Agreement in various PDF documents. Upon agreement and electronic signature, you are finished and we will send you a Welcome email.

Step 2: Welcome E-Mail
The Welcome E-Mail will provide confirmation of your successful registration and it will prompt you to activate your account by clicking the link provided.

13. What is KYC and how do I upload it?

KYC is an acronym for “Know your Customer”, a term used for customer identification process. You will need to provide two sets of documents as Proof of Identification and Proof of Residence.

Proof of Residence – Utility bill, mobile phone bill, bank statements and credit card statements are accepted, however, the document provided must be dated less than 6 months old.

Once the document has been approved, you are well on your way to provide funding and start trading. Click here to upload your KYC documents.

14. What are the necessary steps to open a DEMO Account?

Click here to open a DEMO account and our registration form will prompt you to enter the required information. Upon submitting your DEMO Account registration, you will receive a welcome email providing you with a link to download our trading software (MT4 Platform). Once you have downloaded the application, you will need to supply some additional information, and you will then be ready to start trading.

15. How similar are the spreads and execution in a DEMO Account compared to a Live Account?

The spreads should be identical in both DEMO and Live Accounts. It is impossible, however, to make execution for both the DEMO and Live Accounts identical. The reason for this is that a DEMO Account assumes that all markets are 100% liquid at all times. This is not how the live market works. During volatile market periods, i.e. US Non-Farm Payrolls, etc., there are times when the interbank is illiquid. This means that if you’re trying to execute a trade at 1.3001, and there is no bank that is willing to deal at that price, you will receive the next best possible price. This is the true definition of slippage or re-quotes.

Tradesto differentiates itself from its competitors by offering superior liquidity, thus offering you the best opportunity to be executed at the price you are seeking. A Tradesto client should expect instant execution of his / her order majority of the time, but should also expect the occasional slippage or re-quote during volatile market conditions. The true litmus test of a brokerage firm’s execution, though, is not only how often the client experiences slippage, but how severe the slippage is. We cordially invite you to experience trading with us to see how we excel in both of these facets.

16. Are the DEMO Account platform and the Live Account platform hosted on the same server?

We host DEMO Accounts and Live Accounts on different servers so that clients can test out trading methods and EAs on DEMO servers without affecting the performance and integrity of our Live servers.

17. How do I surrender from a Managed Account?

You must first contact your manager and request them to stop trading your account and to liquidate all positions. Once this is done, either you or the manager will need to contact us. It is important to remember that we can only remove your account from the manager’s Power of Attorney (POA) and turn it into a self-directed account only after the manager has liquidated all positions.

18. What is the trading commission for the Tradesto ECN account?

By registering for our Tradesto ECN Account you AGREE to have a USD10 commission deducted from your account in real-time for the equivalent of every standard lot traded and a mini lot (0.10) will be charged approximately USD1. This commission is deducted at the time you exit the trade and is non-refundable.

A

Appreciation
a currency is said to “appreciate” when it’s price increases against a specific currency or group of currencies in response to market demand.

Arbitrage
the purchase or sale of an instrument and simultaneous taking of an equal and opposite position in a related market, in order to take advantage of small price differentials between markets.

Around
jargon used by dealers in quoting when the forward premium/discount is near parity. For example, “two-two around” would translate into 2 points to either side of the present spot price.

Ask Rate
the rate at which a financial instrument if offered for sale (as in bid/ask spread).

Asset Allocation
division of funds among different markets, instruments or investments to diversify risk and/or create exposure to areas considered attractive, consistent with an investor’s objectives.

B

Back Office
the departments and processes related to the settlement of financial transactions.

Balance of Trade
the value of a country’s exports minus its imports.

Base Currency
the base currency is usually the currency in which an investor or issuer maintains its book of accounts. In the Forex markets, the US Dollar is normally considered the “base” currency for quotes, meaning that quotes are expressed as a unit of $1 USD per the other currency quoted in the pair. The main exceptions to this rule are the Sterling, the Euro and the Australian Dollar.

Bear Market
a market in which prices decline.

Bid Rate
the rate at which a trader is willing to buy a currency.

Bid/Ask Spread
the difference between the bid and offer price, and the most widely used measure of liquidity.

Big Figure
the first few digits of an exchange rate, as referred to by dealers for simplicity. These digits change relatively slowly, and are omitted in dealer quotes, especially in times of high market activity when time is tight. For example, a USD/JPY rate might be 107.30/107.35, but would be quoted verbally without the first three digits i.e. “30/35”.

Book
in a professional trading environment, the “book” is the net positions of a dealing desk.

Broker
an individual or firm that acts as an intermediary, putting together buyers and sellers for a fee or commission. In contrast, a “dealer” commits capital and takes one side of a position, hoping to earn a spread (profit) by closing out the position in a subsequent trade

Bretton Woods Agreement of 1944
the agreement that established fixed foreign exchange rates for major currencies, provided for central bank intervention in the currency markets, and pegged the price of gold at US$35 per ounce. The agreement lasted until 1971, when President Nixon overturned the Bretton Woods agreement and established a floating exchange rate for the major currencies.

Bull Market
a market in which prices rise.

C

Cable
trader slang referring to the Sterling/US Dollar exchange rate. So called because the rate was originally transmitted via a transatlantic cable beginning in the mid 1800s.

Candlestick Chart
a chart indicating the trading range for the period as well as the opening and closing price. If the open price is higher than the close price, the rectangle between the open and close price is shaded. If the close price is higher than the open price, that area of the chart is not shaded.

Central Bank
a government or quasi-governmental organization that manages a country’s monetary policy. For example, the US central bank is the Federal Reserve, and the German central bank is the Bundesbank.

Chartist
someone who uses charts and graphs and interprets historical data to find trends to predict future movements. Also referred to as Technical Trader.

Churning
unethical practice employed by some brokers to increase their commissions by excessively trading in a client’s account. It is also referred to as “churn and burn”, “twisting” and “overtrading”.

Clearing
the process of settling a trade.

Contagion
the tendency of an economic situation to spread from one market to another.

Collateral
something given to secure a loan or as a guarantee of performance.

Commission
a transaction fee charged by a broker.

Confirmation
a document exchanged by the parties to a transaction that states the terms of said transaction.

Contract
the standard unit of trading.

Counterparty
participant in a financial transaction.

Country Risk
risk associated with an international transaction, including but not limited to legal and political conditions.

Cross Rate
the exchange rate between any two currencies that are considered non-standard in the country where the currency pair is quoted. For example, in the US, a GBP/JPY quote would be considered a cross rate, whereas in UK or Japan it would be one of the primary currency pairs traded.

Currency
form of money issued by a government or central bank and used as legal tender and a basis for trade.

Currency Risk
the likelihood of an adverse change in exchange rates.

D

Day Trading
refers to taking positions which are opened and closed on the same trading day.

Dealer
someone who acts as a principal or counterparty to a transaction, hoping to earn a spread (profit) by closing out the position in a subsequent trade. In contrast, a broker is an individual or firm that acts as an intermediary, putting together buyers and sellers for a fee or commission.

Delivery
a Forex trade where both sides make and take actual delivery of the currencies traded.

Depreciation
fall in the value of a currency against another currency or group of currencies.

Derivative
a contract that changes in value in relation to the price movements of a related or underlying security, future or other physical instrument. An Option is the most common derivative instrument.

Devaluation
deliberate downward adjustment of a currency’s price, normally by official announcement.

E

Economic Indicator
a government-issued statistic on the state of an economy, which might affect market prices. Common indicators include employment rates, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), inflation, retail sales, etc.

End Of Day Order (EOD)
an order to buy or sell at a specified price. This order remains open until the end of the trading day.

Equity
in a margin account, it’s an accounting equation, which defines the amount currently held in a customer’s account calculated as if all the opened positions will be closed at the current market quotes. It’s usually calculated as the account balance plus unrealized gains and minus unrealized losses.

European Monetary Union (EMU)
EMU created the single European currency called the Euro, which replaced the national currencies of the member EU countries in 2002. The current members of the EMU are Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Portugal.

Euro
the currency of the European Monetary Union (EMU). A replacement for the European Currency Unit (ECU).

European Central Bank (ECB)
the Central Bank for the new European Monetary Union.

F

Flat/Square
dealer jargon used to describe a position that has been completely reversed, e.g. you bought $500,000 then sold $500,000, thereby creating a neutral (flat) position.

Foreign Exchange (Forex, FX)
simultaneous buying of one currency and selling of another.

Forward
the pre-specified exchange rate for a foreign exchange contract settling at some agreed future date, based upon the interest rate differential between the two currencies involved.

Forward Points
the pips added to or subtracted from the current exchange rate to calculate a forward price.

Fundamental Analysis
analysis of economic and political information with the objective of determining future movements in a financial market.

Futures Contract
an obligation to exchange a good or instrument at a set price on a future date. The primary difference between a Future and a Forward is that Futures are typically traded over an exchange (Exchange Traded Contacts – ETC), versus forwards, which are considered Over The Counter (OTC) contracts. An OTC is any contract NOT traded on an exchange.

G

Good Till Cancelled Order (GTC)
an order to buy or sell at a specified price. This order remains open until filled or until the client cancels.

H

Hedge
a position or combination of positions that reduces the risk of your primary position.

I

Initial Margin
the initial deposit of collateral required to enter into a position as a guarantee on future performance.

Interbank Rates
the Foreign Exchange rates at which large international banks quote other large international banks.

L

Leading Indicators
statistics that are considered to predict future economic activity.

LIBOR
London Inter-Bank Offered Rate. Banks use LIBOR when borrowing from another bank.

Limit Order ― an order with restrictions on the maximum price to be paid or the minimum price to be received. As an example, if the current price of USD/JPY is 102.00/05, then a limit order to buy USD would be at a price below 102. (i.e. 101.50)

Liquidity
the ability of a market to accept large transaction with minimal to no impact on price stability.

Liquidation
the closing of an existing position through the execution of an offsetting transaction.

Long Position
a position that appreciates in value if market prices increase.

M

Margin
the required equity that an investor must deposit to collateralize a position.

Margin Call
a request from a broker or dealer for additional funds or other collateral to guarantee performance on a position that has moved against the customer.

Market Maker
a dealer who regularly quotes both bid and ask prices and is ready to make a two-sided market for any financial instrument.

Market Risk
exposure to changes in market prices.

Mark-to-Market
process of re-evaluating all open positions with the current market prices. These new values then determine margin requirements.

Maturity
the date for settlement or expiry of a financial instrument.

O

Offer
the rate at which a dealer is willing to sell a currency.

Offsetting Transaction
a trade with which serves to cancel or offset some or all of the market risk of an open position.

One Cancels the Other Order (OCO)
a designation for two orders whereby one part of the two orders is executed the other is automatically cancelled.

Open Order
an order that will be executed when a market moves to its designated price. Normally associated with Good Till Cancelled Orders.

Open Position
a deal not yet reversed or settled with a physical payment.

Over the Counter (OTC)
asked to describe any transaction that is not conducted over an exchange.

Overnight
a trade that remains open until the next business day.

P

Pips
digits added to or subtracted from the fourth decimal place, i.e. 0.0001. Also called Points.

Political Risk
exposure to changes in governmental policy which will have an adverse effect on an investor’s position.

Position
the netted total holdings of a given currency.

Premium
in the currency markets, describes the amount by which the forward or futures price exceed the spot price.

Price Transparency ― describes quotes to which every market participant has equal access.

Q

R

Rate
the price of one currency in terms of another, typically used for dealing purposes.

Resistance
a term used in technical analysis indicating a specific price level at which analysis concludes people will sell.

Revaluation
an increase in the exchange rate for a currency as a result of central bank intervention. Opposite of Devaluation.

Risk
exposure to uncertain change, most often used with a negative connotation of adverse change.

Risk Management
the employment of financial analysis and trading techniques to reduce and/or control exposure to various types of risk.

Rollover
process whereby the settlement of a deal is rolled forward to another value date. The cost of this process is based on the interest rate differential of the two currencies.

S

Settlement
the process by which a trade is entered into the books and records of the counterparts to a transaction. The settlement of currency trades may or may not involve the actual physical exchange of one currency for another.

Short Position
an investment position that benefits from a decline in market price.

Spot Price
the current market price. Settlement of spot transactions usually occurs within two business days.

Spread
the difference between the bid and offer prices.

Sterling
slang for British Pound.

Stop Loss Order
type whereby an open position is automatically liquidated at a specific price. Often used to minimize exposure to losses if the market moves against an investor’s position. As an example, if an investor is long USD at 156.27, they might wish to put in a stop loss order for 155.49, which would limit losses should the dollar depreciate, possibly below 155.49.

Support Levels
a technique used in technical analysis that indicates a specific price ceiling and floor at which a given exchange rate will automatically correct itself. Opposite of Resistance.

Swap
The forex swap is an investment strategy that is a combination purchase and sale of the same amount of one currency, while purchasing a different currency that carries two different value dates. This essentially creates a situation in which the investor offsets the sale with the purchase, and also positions the investor to earn a return in both a short and a long position. A forex swap is not the same as a currency trade, which is a simple exchange of currencies based on the current performance of one currency against the other.

T

Tomorrow Next (Tom/Next)
simultaneous buying and selling of a currency for delivery the following day.

Transaction Cost
the cost of buying or selling a financial instrument

Transaction Date
the date on which a trade occurs.

Turnover
the total money value of all executed transactions in a given time period; volume.

Two-Way Price
when both a bid and offer rate is quoted for a Forex transaction.

U

Uptick
new price quote at a price higher than the preceding quote.

Uptick Rule
in the U.S., a regulation whereby a security may not be sold short unless the last trade prior to the short sale was at a price lower than the price at which the short sale is executed.

US Prime Rate
the interest rate at which US banks will lend to their prime corporate customers.

V

Value Date
the date on which counterparts to a financial transaction agree to settle their respective obligations, i.e., exchanging payments. For spot currency transactions, the value date is normally two business days forward. Also known as maturity date.

Variation Margin
funds a broker must request from the client to have the required margin deposited. The term usually refers to additional funds that must be deposited as a result of unfavorable price movements.

Volatility (Vol) ― a statistical measure of a market’s price movements over time.

W

Whipsaw
slang for a condition of a highly volatile market where a sharp price movement is quickly followed by a sharp reversal.

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Tradesto Group

Tradesto Corporation is supervised and and regulated by the authorities of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines under registered number 22360 IBC 2014.

Tradesto is licensed and regulated by the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC) under registered number 14736.

Tradesto is registered under Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) with registered body number 616 567 698.

Tradesto Corporation
Suite 305, Griffith Corporate Centre, P.O.Box 1510, Beachmont, Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines is incorporated under registered number 22360 IBC 2014 by the Registrar of International Business Companies, registered by the Financial Services Authority of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to carry on the business of dealing in securities as a Principal.

Tradesto UK Limited
7 35-37, Ludgate Hill, London, England, EC4M 7JN is incorporated in UK, with incorporation number 09785168, certified by The Registrar of Companies for England and Wales.

Risk Warning:Trading Foreign Exchange (Forex) and Contracts for Differences (CFD) is speculative and carries a level of risk that may not be suitable for all persons interested in trading online. You may sustain a loss of some or all of your invested capital, therefore, you should not speculate with capital that you cannot afford to lose.